Closing and Openings

Recently, a great teacher in my life said, as explanation for why he has decided to take a new course in his life, "Sometimes you have to allow a door in your life to fully close before another will open." I think what he was trying to get at was the idea that sometimes you have to close the door in order to allow for enough silence to make hearing possible. That's when you hear what the world has in store for you.

Not long ago a door in my life closed as firmly and soundly as it opened extravagantly and gloriously. I felt sadness for the closure but it gave me the opportunity to listen in that quiet space. I began to hear some amazing things; things that told me "Don't ponder too long on the closed door. Yes, you are on the right path - both professionally and personally. Yes, keep going."

So, what is it that I heard, you ask? Well, I've been working a long time amassing skills that at times seemed unrelated and irrelevant. I'm finally starting to figure out how all the pieces fit in together. Last week, after several months of networking and then more weeks of interviews I was invited to sit on the Board of Directors of a prominent dance oriented non-profit. Dancewave is a wonderful non-profit that brings modern dance to kids in a vast array of socio-economic groups. www.dancewave.org. I'm thrilled. This opportunity will allow me to participate and give back to the delicious world of modern dance. Modern dance has given me so much joy over the years and I'm glad I can give back in this way. In a weird confluence of events, I've also recently met a ton of Board members for Danspace Project, www.danspaceproject.org, the historic and groundbreaking performance space in the East Village. They are looking for new board members and a few have mentioned that they want me to join. I don't know if I'll have the time for both organizations but we'll consider that "burden" if I'm fortunate to have it. It's like this magic melding of my professional skills with my artistic sensibilities.

Additionally, in just the last week I was invited by a certain large automotive manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, MI to sit on their Sustainability/Corporate Social Responsibility review board. I know how they got my name but still, the fact that they saw my resume and thought...this girl may actually be able to add some value to our discussion...is really amazing. I'm thrilled. Those of you who met me during the MBA days know how much this means to me.
Oh! Oh! and I heard back from the co-op board...we are making some headway on the apartment. Soon...very soon!

I guess my parents are right when they say..."Just try your best."

The world is an amazing place, isn't it?

On the topic of closings, I attended the funniest performance art piece last Friday night with dear friends AI and DB. My Price Point by Mike Albo was a satirical look at our modern consumer oriented culture. It was great! It combined sharp commentary with dance and comedy. I loved it! My favorite line was "I was working backstage at a concert and got to witness Conor Oberst and Michael Stipe share a hug in their strange homosexual vegan way." Normally I'd tell you to see this show but it ended its run at PS 122 last Sunday night. Oh well. It was still pretty damn funny...